When She Was Good

Evie Cormack was found as a child at the scene of a brutal murder, and refuses to tell anything of her past or what happened to her, because she fears that anyone who does know will get killed and get her killed.

Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven teams up with Sacha Hopewell, the police officer who found Evie, to try to find out what danger she fears and how to protect her from it, but it seems that the danger comes from some very powerful and influential people.

Genres

Thriller

Crime

Suspense

Content Warnings

Sexual Abuse (not graphic)

349 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 28, 2020

Literary Awards

Ned Kelly Award Nominee for Crime Fiction (2021)

‘She gave me this look that laid me to waste inside. It was so full of despair, so bereft of hope. It was like dropping a stone into a dark well, waiting for it to hit bottom, but it never does, it just keeps falling. That’s what frightened me. That and her voice, which came out all raspy and hoarse. She said, “Nobody can protect me.”’”

My Verdict

This is the second book in the Cyrus Haven Series. Like the first book in the series, this one is told in the alternating voices of Cyrus and Evie. In the first book, I fell in love with the characters; in this book what I loved most was the fact that it was very plot driven. Robotham lays out terrifying experiences and threats, one after the other, making it difficult to put the book down. Cyrus is convinced that he can save this battered child to whom he has given his heart, but Evie is equally convinced that he cannot save her. This book pleads with the forces of love and justice to prevail.

I wanted to see Evie use her ability to see if someone is telling the truth to help Cyrus solve the crime, but Robotham decided to use this book to reveal more about Evie's past one piece at a time. In the end, this was the right decision. I liked this book even more than the first one, and I can't wait to read the third book in the series. I give this book 5 stars.